SP Business School

DBID organised and hosted Design Innovation in Singapore on Wed, 2nd December 2015. Speakers from both the private sector and government agencies were invited to share what they do to encourage the use of Design Thinking (DT) for innovation in their respective fields.

The event was attended by over 60 industry guests from a variety of backgrounds, expertise and industry experience who have been applying DT in their own work, and were eager to be part of a community that shared and learned from each other. About 130 DBID students, including alumni, were invited to attend this first ever organised gathering and to learn from experts applying DT in their own vocations. A lively discourse ensued after each presentation, adding to the already inspiring stories shared.

Jan Auernhammer, a Stanford scholar, who worked alongside one of the founding fathers of DT, David Kelley, shared about the Future of Design Innovation in Singapore. At one juncture, he spoke about the rules of Design Innovation, including the ‘Human Rule’ which proposes that all design activity is social in nature and cannot be done in isolation without considering the culture of the environment.

Leon Voon, as self-taught design thinker from ‘The Lab’ in the Public Service Division (PSD), showed how his small but effectual team is helping to chart DT in the various government agencies. He also spoke about the initial resistance and scepticism when he was first introduced to the methodology, but soon came to appreciate how the process could potentially change the lives of Singaporeans.

Other speakers included representatives from Deloitte who shared about some of the tools they use to that help them to think out of the box and to view the world from a different perspective. And Ricky Lin, co-founder of Natures Nest, also spoke of the relevance of using a user centred design approach to change how a traditional product should be marketed to modern day women.

All in all, it was a day to celebrate innovation. And DBID was proud to have been part of this inaugural event that will help transform lives for a better tomorrow.